Originally Posted by
Jed33d
Hi all! Excited for our upcoming stay in the next week. Fly into OAK and out of SFO and have rented a car to get to and from. Have our dinner reservations booked and we've been looking at the activities. Really excited for a get-away!
Hoping to do the falcon experience, but looks like if things go smoothly with flights and drive down we won't get there until around noon and the experience starts at 1:30. Since it's only offered on the day of our arrival I don't want to book a reservation if something goes wrong on the way down, and we'll want to get something to eat too. Fingers crossed there will be some last minute availability on arrival. I had a couple of questions for people as this is our first visit to VBS and Big Sur in general.
1-Tipping: Am I correct that all gratuities are included except for alcohol or other services purchased (like massage)? Also, is this the "real" policy or will some gratuities be "expected" from staff? Some places say included but then tipping is still something that happens. Want to make sure if that's the case I'm aware prior to.
2-As this is our first time in Big Sur, anywhere nearby we should definitely make time to go see off property, but nearby? We will have our rental car so can head out for a short excursion. We are good with some easy walking, but not going to be up for any challenging hikes are full days away from VBS.
3-Any other tips for a first-timer greatly appreciated! :-)
Don't feel pressured to tip for dinner, especially if you don't order alcohol. As someone else said, you'll still get a bill with a $0 line for you to sign, but I didn't feel pressured at all to make this amount non-zero when we stayed there.
Be sure to check out the garden on the property (where the beehives are, you can ask one of the staff if you can't find it). Some of the stuff they grow there is used in the meals, which is cool. On that note, we enjoyed the beekeeping experience (paid). There is also a free honey tasting class, but I recommend the beekeeping if you are willing to pay.
Make sure to order the cookies -- if not with from the room service menu, then after your meal. It's not on the "dinner menu" per se but they should be available if you ask. I believe there are a selection of sorbets as well (at least there were when we visited mid 2022), off menu.